Valentine’s Day is no longer just about roses, romantic dinners, and couples.
Using Pureprofile’s Social Insights Tools (powered by Quilt.AI), we analysed unstructured online consumer conversations across social, search, and the open web to understand how Australians are really talking about Valentine’s Day, and what’s shaping how they feel about it in 2026.
We asked a simple question:
How do Aussies talk about Valentine’s Day, and what shapes how they feel about it?
What emerged was a clear cultural shift.
Friendship is now the loudest voice
The most dominant influence on Valentine’s Day sentiment in Australia isn’t romantic partners – it’s friendship.
More than half of the online conversation (55%) is driven by friendship-led celebrations, particularly the rise of Galentine’s Day, an unofficial global holiday that celebrates women’s friendship. Across platforms like TikTok and Instagram, Australians, especially younger women, are prioritising platonic bonds through shared meals, themed brunches, gift exchanges and moments designed for genuine connection (and often social sharing).
For many, friendship has become the most stable and meaningful relationship worth celebrating.
Family and experiences are redefining the occasion
Beyond friendship, Australians are increasingly reframing Valentine’s Day around family and shared experiences, rather than spending or spectacle.
Family-focused celebrations (12%) highlight parent-child traditions, from heart-shaped breakfasts to small acts of love that feel more meaningful than traditional couple rituals. At the same time, conversations emphasising experiences over material gifts (10%) show a growing preference for memory-making, such as picnics, shared hobbies, or simply time together.
These shifts point to a broader move away from commercialised expectations toward moments that feel personal and authentic.
Romance still matters - but it’s evolving
Romantic partnerships haven’t disappeared from Valentine’s Day discourse, but their role is changing.
Rather than extravagant gestures, Australians are favouring personalised, low-pressure experiences like a walk, a meal at home, or a shared routine that reflects their relationship stage. Romance now sits alongside friendship and family, rather than above them.
Authenticity over performance
A strong counter-narrative also emerged around rejecting the “performance” of Valentine’s Day.
Many Australians are pushing back against the pressure to create perfect, shareable moments for social media. Instead, they’re choosing celebrations that feel real or opting out altogether. This preference for authenticity reflects a broader cultural shift toward being present, not performative.
Why this matters for brands
These insights show how quickly cultural meaning can evolve, and why relying on traditional assumptions no longer works.
By analysing unstructured online conversations through a research lens, our Social Insights Tools help businesses and brands uncover not just what people are saying, but why they feel the way they do. This approach reveals sentiment, cultural shifts and emerging behaviours in real time to keep them aligned with evolving consumer expectations.
The infographic below represents key findings from our research:
Share this infographic on your website
How we uncovered these insights:
These findings were generated using Pureprofile’s Social Insights Tool, powered by Quilt.AI – an AI analytics platform that turns unstructured online consumer data into actionable insights.
Our Social Insights Tools go beyond traditional social listening by analysing conversations across social, search and the open web through a research lens to uncover key themes, sentiment, cultural shifts and emerging trends.
Simply type in a question, and Quilt gathers relevant conversations, identifies patterns, and delivers insights in an intuitive interface – helping brands stay connected to evolving consumer behaviour.
Want to explore insights like these for your business?
Contact [email protected] to get all the latest trends from around the world on our Social Insights Tools, powered by Quilt.AI
For press enquiries, please contact: [email protected]
